The Hetalia Academy for Refined Young Men and Women
by I Wield The Pen
Summary: Ludwig is forced to attend an all-boys boarding school with his brother, Gilbert. Feliciana is attending a similar school with Lovina, but it's for girls. When the girls' school is infested with rats, the two genders are forced to live on the same campus. What will this lead to? Humor, romance, and a prank war, of course! Fem!Italy x Germany and other genderbender pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my very first Hetalia fanfiction, but I've written for other fandoms in the past. I hope that you enjoy it!_

_I DO NOT OWN HETALIA (though I totally wish I did)_

**Ludwig's POV**

I paused just before setting my foot on the marble steps of _The Hetalia Academy for Refined Young Men, _sighing deeply.

A year ago, my brother, Gilbert, accidentally set the chemistry lab on fire for the third time, which finally led to his expulsion from our high school. Honestly, I was just surprised that he lasted so long. He hid a llama in the vice principal's office his freshman year. The year after that he managed to get the school infested with an entire hive of bees after one of his "hilarious" pranks went wrong. When our parents finally received the letter from the principal confirming his ejection, they just shrugged and sent him off to boarding school.

Gilbert, of course, was horrified by the idea.

Becoming a "refined young man" was as unappealing to him as eating nothing but toothpaste for a month, but he had no choice in the manner. Gil was constantly complaining about how he would have to wear a tie, that there'd be no girls, that all of the guys there would be sissies… I learned to drown out the majority of his grumbling eventually, but he would just speak louder and louder until I had to throw a wurst at his head. That usually shut him up.

Once my brother had _finally _left for boarding school, I received an inbox full of texts from him every day after school. It started out as more complaints, which I promptly deleted, but later his mood seemed to rise. He made two new friends, Antonio and Francis, who sounded downright a_wful_ from Gilbert's descriptions. They were always sneaking out late at night and stealing food from the school cafeteria, or throwing wild parties in their dorm rooms on the weekends.

Of course, what he told my parents was the complete _opposite._ They would receive a weekly letter from him describing his "newfound pleasure in formal dress" or his "enjoyment of reading the riveting classics in language arts".

It made me want to vomit.

Nevertheless, my parents believed every word that he wrote. In fact, they were SO excited about this school that they signed me up for the following semester. Now I get to experience the joy of spending every day with my brother and his psychotic friends until summer vacation sets me free from the insanity.

"HEY, THERE'S MY LITTLE BRO!"

I glanced up, a scowl set on my face. Gil was leaning against one of the pillars, his tie loosened, and his pale hair sticking out all over the place. Behind him were two guys: one had brown hair and was munching on a tomato, and the other had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a devious smirk.

I marched up the steps, praying that Gilbert wasn't going to ruin my chances at enjoying myself at this school. "Hey, bruder. I guess it's time to see my room…"

"You'll love it, Ludwig! It's got a shelf for all those crap books you read, a TV, and the BEST roommates you'll ever meet!"

"Gott…"

"That's right: you're rooming with the three of us! Let's go, little bro!"

Gilbert slung his arm around my shoulders as we entered, Antonio and Francis slinking in behind us. Just before we reached the stairs, Francis commented, "Hey, did you hear the rumor? People are saying that a bunch of _girls_ are coming to stay in the left wing of the building, and that's why it's off limits!"

"Ah, don't fool yourself, Francis," Antonio laughed while shoving him to the side. "That's just a bunch of senseless gossip."

**Feliciana's POV**

"WHAT? Why the hell would they relocate our school?"

I cringed at my sister's language, nervously peeking at her enraged expression. She had been yapping to her American friend the entire car ride, completely ignoring the fact that I, her sister, was right next to her.

Clearing my throat, I dared to speak. "Ve, Lovina? What is going on?"

She cupped her hand over the phone before she replied. "Alex just told me that our headmaster sent a memo a few minutes ago saying that _The Hetalia Academy for Refined Young Women _has been relocated! Apparently the building down in Florida was somehow infested with a bunch of rats, but they hadn't been discovered until the janitors tried to clean the basement a couple of days ago!"

"Moved to where," I prodded, but Lovina had already returned to her phone conversation. She was speaking rapid fire Italian/English, mostly cursing the rats and the janitors and the headmaster for God knows what reason. Only one of her hands was on the wheel and she wasn't focusing too hard on her driving, so the car would swerve madly every 20 seconds. My hands were gripping the arm rests so firmly that me knuckles turned white.

"Please, God, I am just a helpless Italian virgin! Don't let my sister's reckless driving kill me tonight! I'll make pasta for the homeless! I'll never lie again in my life! I'll even become a nun! Wait… God, are nuns allowed to eat pasta? Or pizza? Please tell me that I can eat pasta and pizza!"

"Feli, I'm on the phone, Dammit! Just shut it for a moment, would you?"

"I apologize for my sister's language, God!"

"FELI!"

"Sorry!"

Lovina rolled her eyes and returned to her conversation. "Yeah, I know, whose idea was it to relocate _one day_ before the next term started? Where the hell is it anyway?"

I leaned towards my sister, trying to listen in to the reply. Her friend, Alex, speaks so loud anyway, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

All I heard was an incomprehensible rush of words fly from her mouth (no doubt she was stuffing her face with fast food at the same time), but it was enough for Lovina. "NO WAY! NO FU-"

"LOVI!"

"-CKING WAY! WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?! ARE THEY INSANE?!"

Lovina spouted off another string of curses before finally hanging up. We were now going about 15 miles per hour above the speed limit, and my face was whiter than mozzarella cheese. After 5 minutes of her mumbling more foul language, my sister finally cooled down and slowed down her driving back to a legal speed.

"Guess where we've been moved," she muttered, venom seeping in her voice.

I gulped. "W-where?" I sunk my hand into my purse and gripped my white flag just in case.

Her amber eyes darted towards mine. "We're moving to the boys' school."

I paused, my mouth agape. Boys? As in… men? As in girls and boys living in the same building? My face reddened just at the thought of it.

"What?! Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

She shrugged and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Well, the girls' school was infested with rodents somehow, so there's no place else to go. The principal has reassured us that we get all of the dorms on the left side of the building and the guys will stay on the right, but we'll have to fit several girls to a room. A lot of people are dropping out because of the change, anyway."

A million questions were running through my head, but if I bombarded Lovi with them, she wouldn't hesitate to strangle me. I decided that only one last inquiry remained important.

"… Will they reduce our food portions? You know, because of all the extra people?"

Lovina lulled her head and sighed deeply. "If those bastards do, then I promise I'll steal us some from the kitchens, okay?"

"Yaaay, Lovi! You're the best sister ever!"

"Stop hugging me, Feliciana."

_A/N: OKAAAY! So, how was it? Hopefully my future chapters will be longer and less boring…_

_Thanks for reading! I love reviews (hint hint), so if you have any compliments or criticisms, I'd like to hear them!_

_HASTALAPASTA~_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hey, guys! Next chapter is here!_

_Just in case there's any confusion: Feliciana= Italy, Lovina= Romano, Alex= America, Maddie= Canada, Chun Yan (Himaruya's Fem!China name)= China_

_Those are just the gender-bender characters, but if there are any other names that I need to clarify, just let me know! _

_P.S: Although I already have some plans in store for this piece, does anyone else have any prank ideas? I'd be glad to hear them! _

_I do not own Hetalia._

**Ludwig's POV**

"Look at that, he's nuzzling right into my hair! How awesome is he?"

Gilbert patted the fuzzy, yellow bird that was resting on top of his head with a tenderness I'd never witnessed by him before. We had been released for lunch a few minutes ago and gone out to the back field to eat when Gil discovered a bird resting by one of the nearby bushes; he's been obsessing with it for about 15 minutes now.

"Looks like you found a girlfriend, Gil," Francis teased, sidestepping the rock that my brother hurled at him. Antonio laughed at the pair and continued to munch on his tomato sandwich.

Sighing, I leaned against a tree and pulled out the sack lunch the school had provided me with. Gilbert wasn't kidding when he said this place was high-class; the cafeteria made custom lunches for each of the students according to their preferences. That part about this place was pretty cool; everything else, however, wasn't.

There were a few other guys my age here who I've become acquainted with, but they're all… how should I put it… different. Of course, there's my brother; that pretty much speaks for itself. Francis, I've learned, is a relentless flirt and hordes bottles upon bottles of conditioner in the bathroom and can use up an entire container in as little as three days. He also pauses every time he passes by a mirror to check himself out. Totally not narcissistic at all. Antonio, on the other hand, was more tolerable. Although he covered the dorm walls with baby turtle posters and only eats tomatoes, he's less rambunctious than my brother and Francis.

Roderich is a dark-haired Austrian who lives in the dorm next to ours. He somehow managed to bring a piano into the tiny room, which he plays every chance he gets. On more than one occasion, I've been woken at three in the morning to the sound of Bach. He rooms with Arthur and Ivan, who are just as strange. Arthur seems alright, though I caught him talking to "Flying Mint Bunny" on several occasions, and he insists on using the kitchens to bake his rock-hard stones that taste like cardboard. Ivan always wears a scarf around his neck, which is breaking the school dress code, but no one would dare reprimand him. He is by far the most terrifying guy I've ever met. He carries around a metal pipe at all times, and although he smiles often, there's still an element to his "look" that makes me want to cry and submit myself to the fetal position.

Not that I'd ever do that.

I've already sent five letters to my parents begging for them to take me out of this school, but they are incapable of doing so until the end of the school year since they've already paid in advance. For now, I'm stuck with this pathetic company; two narcissists, a tomato and turtle lover, a piano-obsessive guy, a maniac with no taste buds, and a terrifying psychopath. Looks like I'll have a lot of fun this year.

I casually inched away from my brother and his friends, searching for a more solitary area to eat. Although I stuck with them throughout all of our classes, I didn't participate in their conversations (which usually consisted of bragging about looks and obsessing over who-knows-what). In my mind, silence is golden; in Gilbert's, the word "silence" doesn't exist. You get my point.

I had meandered halfway across the field, and now faced the hedge that divided the expansive area into two sections. Sighing, I eased myself onto the grass, careful not to wrinkle my uniform, and continued to eat my lunch.

_Might as well enjoy the quiet while I can…_

In the midst of my thoughts, I didn't notice the soccer ball spiraling directly towards my head, nor did I hear the sound of hysterical laughter emitting from the other side of the hedge.

And then everything was black.

**Feliciana's POV**

"Ve, Lovina, could you slow down?" I reduced my speed until I came to a stop in the middle of the field, hands resting on my kneecaps. My sister, pursued by Alex, continued to kick the soccer ball down towards the goal. Maddie halted as well, standing next to me.

"They're so fast," she mumbled, wiping some sweat off of her forehead.

I've known Maddie and Alex for a couple of years now. Maddie is a junior this year, the same as me, and her sister, Alex, is a senior. Although Maddie is very sweet and intelligent, she is overshadowed by her older sibling. Alex is very competitive and athletic, as well as loud and argumentative. She and Lovina are technically best friends, but they constantly get into pointless debates.

Unfortunately, I room with both of them.

Maddie got lucky and was placed with Elizabeta and Chun Yan. Whenever my sister and Alex get into a particularly heated argument, I usually end up sleeping with them in their dorm. Spending the night on the floor is much more enjoyable than being impaled with hairbrushes and burgers and whatever else the two girls will throw at each other. Well, Lovina is the one that'll throw things. Alex just laughs loudly and dodges them, which angers my sister even further.

Strangely, the two will be as good as new the next morning.

Elizabeta is Lovina's age, and she is like a second sister to me. Ever since I came to this school, she's been lending me some of her old clothes and teaching me how to cook Hungarian dishes. Chun Yan is skilled in the culinary arts as well; she makes me her famous Chinese food all the time. Chun Yan is calm in most situations, but she's got many quirks herself. Her bed is covered with stuffed pandas and Hello-Kitty dolls, and on occasion, she'll have a "cuteness attack" after seeing a particularly adorable animal or toy. Maddie is the one who usually attempts to calm her down when this occurs.

"FELI, IT'S COMING TO YOU!"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glanced up to see the ball speeding right towards me. Panicking, I kicked it as hard as I could, sending it past the goal and over the hedge. Lovina fumed as Alex laughed hysterically, falling to the ground. "Dude, you're supposed to kick it to the goal," she chortled.

_Wait a minute… what if the ball hits someone on the other side, _I thought nervously, standing on tip toe and trying to peer over the greenery.

A loud _thunk _and a groan answered my question.

_Uh oh…_

Before I could make a beeline to the bush, Lovina stormed over to me. "Come on, Feliciana, get your damn head in the game! There's no way in hell I'm going to let Alex beat us this time."

"It's just a game, Lovi," Elizabeta chuckled, calmly walking over to where we stood. She placed an arm around my sister's shoulders throwing me a subtle wink. "Besides, gym class is almost over, and you're team is ahead by three points." Lovina opened her mouth to retort, but I was too busy mentally thanking Elizabeta for saving me to hear what she was saying.

In the midst of their conversation, I muttered something to Maddie about retrieving the ball and jogged over to the hedge. Once I spotted a gap in the foliage, I slipped through, swiveling my head around to see who I had damaged.

A few feet away from me, a tall, blonde-haired guy was sprawled on the ground, clutching his head and muttering in a language I had never heard. Without thinking, I ran towards him.

"OH-MY-GOODNESS-I'M-SORRY-SIR-I-WASN'T-PAYING-ATTENTION-AND-I-KICKED-THE-BALL-AND-IT-HIT-YOU-IN-THE-FACE-I'M-SO-SORRY!"

"Nein, nein, it's ok." He stood, and I gulped at the severe difference in our height. He was at least a foot taller than me, and he didn't look too pleased about the bruise forming on his forehead. Based on his uniform, I could assume that he was a student: probably a junior, like me.

"I really am sorry," I repeated, nervously shifting my weight.

"No, that's alright. It wasn't too hard of a hit."

_Really? I heard the ball hit him from the other side of the hedge! Either he's just being polite, or he's really tough…_

His eyes finally settled on me, and his eyebrows rose slightly. "So it's true. There really _are_ girls attending the academy."

I nodded and fidgeted with the ends of my gym shorts. "Yeah. Our school was somehow infested with rats, so we had to move over here. My name is Feliciana, by the way." I smiled at him, but his expression remained stoic.

"Ludwig." He gave me a curt nod before retreating back towards the field, where I assumed the other kids in his class were.

_Huh. He's kind of a strange guy._

"Feli, we need a ball over here!"

I sighed at the sound of my sister's voice and scooped up the soccer ball.

"Coming!"

**Ludwig's POV**

The moment I returned to the group, Antonio gawked at the sight of my face. "Ludwig, what happened?" Francis and Gilbert turned at the sound of his voice and gaped as well.

"Did you get into a fist fight?" My brother sounded more eager than he did worried, causing me to roll my eyes. He could be such a child at times.

"No, I did not get into a fight. The majority of the guys here are weaklings, anyway."

"Did you fall on your face while doing something _naughty_," Francis guessed, waggling his eyebrows while making his creepy "_On hon hon hon" _laugh.

"NO, I did nothing of the sort. I was only hit in the face with a soccer ball. Some girl had accidentally kicked it over the hedge during her gym class."

The moment that the word "girl" spilled from my mouth, an idiotic grin was plastered on Francis's face. "Oh? So there are females in this area? Was the one you talked to cute?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Yeah, I guess. But why does it matter? It's not like we're able to talk to them, anyway."

"Well, then it's settled," Gilbert declared, gently retrieving his bird from the grass while smirking dangerously. "Tonight, we'll give the girls a proper greeting… bad touch trio style!"

Once all of my classes had ended for the day and I reached my dorm room, I collapsed onto my bed. Gilbert's new pet bird, which he had cleverly named "Gilbird," twittered at me from his perch on the window.

All I wanted to do was fall asleep, but my brother's words echoed in my mind.

_"Tonight, we'll give the girls a proper greeting… bad touch trio style!"_

Even though Gilbert was… well, Gilbert, I knew he wasn't a complete maniac. Whatever he had in store for the girls wouldn't be _too_ brutal, but I still couldn't help but feel uneasy. Knowing my brother, he was probably going to pull one of his stupid pranks.

With that thought in mind, Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis burst into the room, giggling like a group of first-graders. Antonio was holding a backpack that was stuffed with what I assumed was supplies for their prank.

"Well, we're off to give our… eh… _welcome_. Care to join us, Luddy," Gilbert asked, throwing me a devilish grin. Sitting up on the bed, I turned to face him.

"First of all, no, I'm not going. In fact, that's probably the last thing on earth that I would choose to participate in. Second, _please_ tell me that you aren't doing anything destructive. You don't want to be thrown out of another school, do you?"

"Well, I wouldn't consider it _too_ destructive. We wouldn't want to harm the ladies," Francis mused, flipping his overly-conditioned hair. Sighing, I leaned back onto the bed.

"Well, whatever you're doing, I want no part of it."

Gilbert shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come on, guys."

And with that, they were gone.

I checked the clock: it was only 4:15, and yet, I was exhausted. Perhaps if I closed my eyes for just a second…

I shot up in bed, clutching at my rapidly beating heart.

It was 10:00, and I was awoken by a chorus of screams.

_A/N: DUNH DUNH DUNHHHH!_

_What was the prank?_

_Whose screams did Ludwig hear?_

_Why am I asking you all of these questions?_

_All of these questions (besides the last one) and more will be answered in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!_

_HASTALAPASTA~_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: YAAAY, NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Now we get to see why the girls were screaming :D**

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own Hetalia.**

**Feliciana's POV**

After our classes, Elizabeta and I headed towards the private kitchen: there was one for the left wing, one for the right wing, and one on the main floor where the official cooks worked. The main one was off-limits, of course, but the other two weren't so bad. The supplies were top-quality, and the walk-in refrigerator was always stocked with endless amounts of food.

"It's been so long since we cooked together, hasn't it, Feli?" Elizabeta threw me one of her warm smiles, tugging her long, chestnut locks into a messy ponytail. Before I could even open my mouth to reply, Alex burst into the room, clutching three McDonald's bags in her fists.

"Yo! Do you mind if I borrow the deep-fryer?" Not bothering to wait for a reply, she pulled it out from the bottom shelf and dumped the contents of her bags- an enormous amount of french fries- as well as a gallon of canola oil into the contraption.

"Ve, Alex? Aren't those fries already… fried?"

"Yeah, but not enough for me! I like 'em extra crispy and extra greasy!"

Sighing, Elizabeta turned back to me. "Anyway, today I thought we could make _somloi galuska_, which is a Hungarian dessert made with sponge cake, chocolate sauce, pastry cream, and a few other ingredients. Sound good?"

My eyes widened with eagerness. "You had me at _dessert_!"

For the next two hours, Elizabeta and I slaved in the kitchen, determined to make the perfect pastries. A few of the other girls came and went during our baking process, but we paid them no mind. During the 45 minutes that they sat in the oven, we exchanged random stories about our families and videos we had seen on the Internet. Even though she was a year older than me, I considered Elizabeta to be my closest friend.

The alarm on the oven chimed, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, scrambling to my feet. Elizabeta chuckled at my reaction and calmly stood up, smoothing down her uniform. "Relax, Feliciana. It just means that the dessert is ready."

"…And then I came home to find that she threw out all of the pancakes in the refrigerator that I made that morning to make room for her burgers!" Maddie sighed and closed her math notebook, hugging it to her chest.

For the past couple of hours, Maddie, Elizabeta, Chun Yan, and I had been working on our homework while sharing stories and munching on the _somloi galuska_.

"I totally understand," Elizabeta lamented. "I used to have this really annoying neighbor named Gilbert, and after spending several hours on a very special cake for my Mother's birthday, he snuck into our house and ate it all!"

"Why would he do that?" Chun Yan inquired, wrapping herself in a fuzzy panda blanket. Elizabeta shrugged and dumped all of her books into her backpack.

"Beats me. He was just a jerk, I guess. It's a good thing he moved." She giggled to herself, tucking one of her brown locks behind her ear. "It's funny; I remember that he used to think I was a boy since I didn't dress in feminine clothing and kept my short hair tucked in a ponytail. I also used to beat him up when he annoyed me, which added to my 'masculinity.' I didn't bother to correct him since he was such an idiot, but it's weird to think that he'll never know I was really a girl."

What she had said seemed weird to me at the moment. How could anybody think that she was a boy? For the span of time that I had known her, I'd only seen her wear her uniform or flowy skirts and tops. She was also extraordinarily pretty. "Maybe you'll see him again, and then you can tell him!" Elizabeta smiled at me, and then grabbed a brush off of the table and began running it through her hair, humming to herself.

It was only seconds later when the intercom sounded, and a voice flooded the room.

"_Testing, testing… is this thing on?"_

I screamed for the second time that day, searching wildly for the source of the voice. It was Maddie who explained to me the situation.

"Eh, Feliciana? The sound is coming from above us."

"GOD?!"

"No, the intercom."

"Oh."

_ "Hello students! Ignore this if you aren't a girl in your junior and senior year at the academy."_

"This is strange… the headmaster's voice is much calmer than this," Chun Yan commented. "I guess this is a different authority figure that's speaking."

_"Anway, all females in their junior and senior year need to report to room 245 immediately. I repeat- room 245. You do not need to bring anything with you. Er… thanks."_

Before the intercom turned off, I could hear a faint laughter that sounded a bit like _"kesesesese" _in the background, but I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who caught it.

"Why would they want to see us at 9:50 at night," Maddie mumbled, setting down the stuffed bear she had previously been cuddling with. It was her prized possession since she was only three years old; Alex thought that it was stupid that she kept it so long, but I thought it was sweet.

"I have no idea, but we might as well find the alleged 'room 245'. Come on, girls." Elizabeta stood, extending an arm to help me up, and we all exited the room.

I didn't see Lovina or Alex in the hallway, but I assumed that they had already left. Elizabeta, Maddie, and Chun Yan's room was number 224, so we only had to walk past 21 rooms to get to our destination.

I just hoped that whoever we were meeting wouldn't mind that I was wearing my pajamas…

When we finally reached the room, I had a bad feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. Room 245 looked like a regular dorm room, but there was no furniture and the paint on the walls was cracking in several places. The only other people in the room were Lovina and Alex, so whoever we were supposed to be seeing obviously hadn't made it yet. While looking around the room, I realized that we were the only female juniors and seniors in the entire school.

_Wow, a lot of people dropped out…_

"Why the hell are we even here," Lovina grumbled, rubbing her eyes with her palms. "It's freaking midnight!"

"9:58," Maddie corrected softly, shuffling her feet. Lovina was too tired to retort, flopping dramatically on the floor and groaning. Alex was in a similar state with her disheveled hair and tired eyes; she was missing her glasses, too, and she was half-blind without them.

"Do you guys have any idea why they want to see us?" Alex sat on the floor next to Lovina, who was still groaning.

Suddenly, the door we entered from shut with a loud _"slam"_. Chun Yan cautiously reached for the doorknob and jiggled it. "It's locked," she whispered. Less than a second after she said that, the lights flickered off.

I was never a brave person. On the contrary, I was always the one who would scream the loudest (whether it was due to a horror movie, a roller coaster that Lovina would drag me on, or just seeing a creepy shadow in my bedroom.) So, naturally, I reached for the closest person and clutched them so tightly that I could practically hear their bones snap. Due to the small squeak and the smell of maple syrup, I assumed it was Maddie.

In the darkness, I heard the sound of nails scratching on the door, and I squeezed Maddie even tighter. A few of the girls gasped sharply, but no one dared to make any loud noises. We were not alone here.

Just when I thought that I couldn't suppress my terror any longer, the lights flashed back on.

Relief flooded through my body, and we all sighed and laughed at our silliness. "It was probably just a poor power system," Elizabeta chuckled.

"N-n-n-not just p-p-poor power…" We all swiveled to face Maddie, who I was still holding loosely. She was facing the window, her face as white as a sheet of paper. Cautiously, I averted my eyes to where she was staring.

I was the first to scream.

On the outside of the window, a thick red liquid oozed down the glass. Behind the substance, you could make out the face of a man. A man with a deep cut down the side of his face and a jagged knife clenched between his teeth. This man was pounding his fists on the window, a crazed look set in his eyes.

Maddie was clutching me back with an iron grip, trembling soundlessly. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the disfigured person. Lovina was cussing up a storm and Alex kept on screaming "DON'T WORRY GUYS, I'M THE HERO!" Chun Yan was even paler than usual, her screams mixing with mine. Everyone was going haywire, without making any effort to _get away._

Elizabeta seemed to be the only one who was still able to move. In a single gesture, she pulled her frying pan from her bag and lunged towards the door, positioning herself so that she could break the wood and free us from the room. Before she could do so, however, it was kicked open from someone on the other side.

At first, I thought this man was our savior. Then I saw the chainsaw in his hands and the ski mask on his face.

"KESESESESE! EAT METAL!"

Terrified, we all began to back towards the window, but the sound of breaking glass changed our minds. The madman from outside had finally broken through, and he still had his knife. He raised his weapon and began to advance towards us, wrenching another scream from my throat. The man with the chainsaw began to do the same. Just as I thought that we were done for…

"_BAM!"_

In one swift motion, Elizabeta had whacked the ski mask guy upside the head with her frying pan, sending him sprawling to the ground. Seething, she turned towards the madman and began to march forward. Eyes wide, he dropped the knife and raised his hands in surrender. "It's plastic! I swear! It was just a joke!"

_A joke? _

The guy on the floor moaned in pain and pulled a walkie-talkie out of his back pocket. "Turn the lights back on, Francis. The prank is over." He cautiously stood to his feet and looked at all of us, a devilish smirk on his face. He had pale hair and red eyes, a combination that I had never witnessed before. "You girls should've seen your faces!"

"Dudes… not funny." Alex had her arms crossed and a glare set on her face; my sister did the same, still cussing under her breath. Elizabeta had lowered her frying pan, confused. Chun Yan and Maddie were still trembling slightly, and I could barely hear a word that was being said over my rapidly beating heart.

The guy standing by the broken window was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, chuckling nervously. "Heh heh… maybe we took this one too far. I'm Antonio, by the way. Welcome to the Academy."

"And I'm Gilbert, but you can call me the Awesome Overlord!"

Elizabeta closed her eyes in an exasperated fashion, and then opened them sharply. "Gilbert? As in Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

"The one and only. Perhaps you've heard of me."

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Unfortunately, yes, I have. Elizabeta Hedervary. I was your neighbor."

A confused expression spread across his face, and his eyes widened. "Wait… Eli? Oh my gosh, you're a transgender?! Man, those surgeons did a good job…"

"No, you idiot! I was always a girl. _You _were just too dumb to notice."

Antonio laughed at Gilbert's dazed expression, clutching his stomach tightly. It was then that four other men entered the room, one of them being the guy I had previously hit in the head with a soccer ball- Ludwig. His stern expression became one of confusion as he took in the scene. There was a broken window, two men wearing terrifying costumes, three fuming girls and three others that were shaking and attempting to recover from the horrific event.

"_Mein Gott,_ Gilbert! What have you done?" As his eyes sweeped across the room, they paused on me for a moment, a look of recognition crossing his face. They finally settled on Elizabeta. "Oh, Miss Hedervary. I didn't know that you attended this school. It's nice to see you again."

Gilbert's mouth dropped open. "You knew she was a chick?!

"Wait, how do you _both _know Lizzie? I thought it was only demon-eyes over here that was her neighbor." Lovina's hands were set on her hips, her eyes narrowed.

"We're brothers," Ludwig replied, sighing as if it was an embarrassing thing to admit. "And to prevent any further confusion, this here is Francis, Arthur, and Ivan. They also attend this school." The one who I assumed was Francis blew us a kiss, while the other three just waved.

"I apologize for the incivility of the prank we just pulled, _jolies filles. _I hope we did not scare you too much."

Alex scoffed, squinting in her glasses-less state. "We were not s_cared._"

"I beg to differ," Arthur mumbled. "We heard your screams from the other side of the building. Why else do you think we showed up? It sounded like you were all being bloody murdered!"

Alex opened her mouth to retort when a voice cut her off. "Yes, those screams were rather roud." We all turned to see Headmaster Kiku **(A/N: Japan!) **standing behind us, arms crossed. "What were you chirdren doing that caused all of that noise?"

After a long, heated, _argumentative _discussion, the full story finally came out. Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert thought that it would be funny to pull a prank on us using one of the dorm rooms that was no longer in use. Antonio had convinced the window-washer that he was a new employee to get the machine that lowered him in front of the window, and Gilbert hijacked the storage room to get the ski mask (previously used in gym), fake knife (previously used in drama), and chainsaw (why the heck was that in there?). After setting everything up, Gilbert snuck into the principal's office and used the intercom (conveniently when Headmaster Kiku was using the bathroom), and Francis used the power controls to turn the lights on and off. The trio communicated using walkie-talkies to plan their entrances and mechanics throughout the prank.

When all was said and done, Headmaster Kiku was holding his head in his hands. I didn't blame him: that was one heck of a story.

"Werr, I think that I have come up with a sorid punishment. Since you kids obviously aren't getting arong, we're going to change that. For now on, you wirr arr have crasses together so you can get used to each other. Also, I'm taking you arr on a surprise trip tomorrow to promote bonding and teamwork. Pack crothing suited for the weather and neccesities for two days. I'rr see you arr tomorrow." He stood, brushed off his suit, and walked down the hallway, obviously exasperated.

"What?! Why punish us, we didn't even do anything!" Lovina huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the boys. Antonio grinned.

"Well, I wouldn't call this punishment. I know you're just _dying _to get to know me!"

My sister glanced at him, rolled her eyes, and stormed down the hallway with Alex at her heels. Antonio grinned again, running his hand through his hair. "She'll come around."

**A/N: Hmmm, what is the surprise trip?**

**Next chapter, the romance and fluff will begin! :D**

**P.S: for anyone who was curious, the French phrase that Francis used meant "pretty girls."**

**Thanks for reading! I really appreciate everyone who reviews (you guys have NO idea how much it means to me!)**

**Hastalapasta~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! The last couple weeks of school were pretty hectic. Thanks to everyone who continues to read and review my stories!**

**I do not own Hetalia.**

**Ludwig's POV**

Of all the "field trips" in the world that the headmaster could come up with, it had to be camping.

It's not that I have anything against the _concept_ of camping. On the contrary, I love being in the outdoors. Every summer, my brother and I would set up our tents at a nearby nature park and "rough it" there for an entire weekend. We pitched our own tent, cooked our own food, and bathed in a nearby stream.

This produced many bad memories.

In the mornings, I would find freshly caught crickets in my sneakers, my duffel bag floating halfway down the river, or a wild animal snuggling with me in my tent. All thanks to my _wonderful_ big brother.

Now, not only was Gilbert participating in this trip, but his psychotic friends as well. The good news was that I probably wasn't going to see a lot of them throughout the day.

Headmaster Kiku's plan was to give every male a female camping partner who they would participate with in several activities. This would help "promote co-gender friendships," resolving the issues between the two groups.

According to the roster that was posted this morning, my partner was Feliciana. She was the same girl who had accidentally kicked a ball at my head, and she seemed like a nice girl. Maybe a bit too talkative, but nice.

Antonio was paired with her sister, Lovina, and he couldn't stop freaking out about that. During the hour that Kiku provided us to pack, he sang "Walking on Sunshine" at the top of his lungs, all the while maintaining a wide grin on his face and dancing like a squirrel who had recently drank 15 cups of coffee.

The rest of the pairings didn't draw too much of a reaction from anybody. Gilbert was paired with a girl named Madeline, whom I've never heard of. Roderich was with Elizabeta, the frying pan girl. Arthur and Alex were partners, which would probably end up in chaos seeing how different their personalities were. Ivan and Francis shared a partner: Chun Yan. Whoever she was, I pitied her.

After folding up my last shirt, I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder with ease. I didn't need much for the trip: just the basic necessities. Gilbert, on the other hand, had crammed two suitcases full of his stuff, claiming that it was all supplies to "look good for the ladies." I didn't believe it for a second; there was a pretty strong chance that he was going to attempt to pull another prank during the trip. Whatever he was doing this time, I wanted no part of it.

One thing that I probably should've told my brother was that I overheard Alex and Lovina whispering about a trick to pull on "the bastards" during the campout while I was walking down the hallway this morning. I only caught bits and pieces of their conversation; nothing that would give me any clue as to what they were really planning. Hopefully they'd leave me out of it, but I thought it was sensible that Gilbert and his friends receive some payback for their actions. Therefore, I wouldn't interfere.

Headmaster Kiku peered into our room, carrying a duffel bag of his own. "Chidren, you have 15 more minutes to get ready. Meet us at the front door of the buirding when you are ready." Bowing slightly, he exited, heading towards the next room.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm so _pumped _for this trip!" Antonio was still dancing around our dorm, and I nearly gagged at the fumes of cologne that radiated from his body.

"Listen, my friend. Lovina is a pretty girl, yes? You don't want to scare her away with your excessive amount of body freshener. A little bit goes a long way." Francis flashed him a smirk that would send girls falling to the floor as he shoved his final bottle of conditioner into his bag. "Well, it looks like I'm all set. Antonio, we should meet Gilbert downstairs." He slung his luggage over his shoulder, his Spanish friend following his example. "Are you coming, Ludwig?"

"_Ja_. I just need to… double check my stuff."

The two nodded in my direction and exited the room, probably striking up yet another conversation about girls. I, for one, was just happy to get them all out of my space.

I sighed, falling back onto my mattress. Ever since I arrived at the academy, I haven't had a moment to myself. I just needed a minute of silence, enough time to clear my thoughts…

"Hi! You're Ludwig, right?"

…But it looks like that's never happening.

I sat up on the bed, glancing tiredly at whoever ended my moment of tranquility. Standing in the doorframe was that girl again-Feliciana- hugging a bag to her chest.

"Actually, I should already know that, seeing that I met you before…"

"_Nein,_ it's okay. We only talked for a brief moment. Yes, I am Ludwig. I'm assuming that you're here to talk about the camping trip…?"

She nodded, brushing a strand of hair out of her golden-brown eyes. "Yeah. Well, kinda. Since we're going to be partners for the next couple of days, I thought that we should get to know each other!"

_…Get to know each other?_

For a moment, I thought she was joking. Feliciana's cheerful grin didn't falter, however, leading me to the conclusion that she was being serious. "Er… what do you want to know?"

She shrugged, casually strolling into the room and sitting onto a chair. "Basic stuff, I guess. I'll go first." Setting her bag onto the floor, she began. "I have one older sister, Lovina. She looks a bit like me, only she frowns and curses _way_ more. Even though she yells at me often, I know that she loves me."

I nodded, signifying that I was listening to her speech. I had already guessed that they were sisters due to similar looks and accents, but now my prediction was affirmed.

"We live with my grandpa outside of school. He was the one who took us to America so that we could study here, since we used to live in Italy. Sometimes I miss my other family members and the beautiful Italian scenery, but I love America, too. I've made many friends, like Maddie, and I'm hoping that we can also be _amici_!"

I reddened at her last statement, slightly surprised at how forward she was with her intentions. Clearing my throat, I began to tell my own story. "Er… well, I also have an older sibling. His name is Gilbert, and he's the idiot that attacked you all with the chainsaw. He's loud and annoying, but we're still close, I guess. We never really get into fights. My family originates from Germany, but Gil insists that he's Prussian. And… that's it pretty much it." I shrugged, glancing up at the Italian. "How was that?"

"It was perfect," she replied, her unyielding smile still spread across her face. This time, though, it was more relaxed, as if she was becoming more comfortable in my presence. Normally people felt intimidated by my stern looks and intimidating body structure, but not her.

"_Mio Dio_, we were supposed to be downstairs five minutes ago!" Her sudden outcry broke through my thoughts and brought me back to reality. Before I could react, she slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed my elbow, hoisting me out of my sitting position. "Come on, Ludwig!"

"Ah, yes, I'm coming." I picked up my own bag and followed her out of the room, easily matching my stride with hers. Overall, Feliciana seemed like an okay girl. She was nice, understanding, and incapable of leaving any awkward silences in a conversation.

Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

Everyone else was already downstairs by the time we arrived, but Feliciana didn't seem to mind. She waved over at a shy looking girl with blondish-brown hair and glasses, who I assumed to be her friend, Maddie. She was standing with my brother, who resumed conversation with her after she waved back to Feliciana. Although Gilbert seemed to be doing most of the talking, she still seemed to be enjoying herself with his company.

Next to them were Arthur and Alex; they were already engaged in an argument, which wasn't too surprising. Antonio was chatting to a red-faced Lovina, who was pretending to ignore him but would still reply with a sentence or two every now and then (usually containing the phrase "tomato bastard"). Roderich and Elizabeta appeared to be getting along nicely, while Chun Yan forced a smile on her face between Francis's relentless flirting and Ivan's terrifying aura.

The Frenchman noticed my presence in the room, excused himself to the petrified Chun Yan, and strode over towards Feliciana and I. "So this is your partner, Ludwig?" He winked at the Italian, which strangely induced no reaction. She just smiled and nodded.

Linking my arm with his, Francis pulled me aside. "She's quite the catch, _no_? Don't think I didn't notice that you were the only couple that was late, Ludwig! Are you already… getting to know each other?" He followed up his brief interrogation with a series of _on hon hon hon_'s, causing my face to heat up.

"_Nein_, you've got it all wrong!" Francis smirked and released me, strolling back over to his partners. Chun Yan was now trembling as Ivan demonstrated how to handle his metal pipe, squealing each time he swung it inches from her face.

"I'm happy you're my partner, Ludwig," Feliciana chirped, appearing to my right. "Everyone else seems kind of scary… or strange. You seemed a little scary at first, too, but now I know that you're a nice guy!" She beamed at me (seriously, what was with this girl and smiling?), and then skipped off in the direction of the buses, which had just arrived. For the first time since I arrived at this school, I smiled.

"I'm glad we're partners too, Feliciana," I whispered, even though I knew she couldn't hear me.

**Feliciana's POV**

Headmaster Kiku said that partners had to sit next to each other on the bus, which was alright with me. I was hoping to get to know Ludwig better on this trip.

It's not like I didn't have any friends; in fact, I had several. Even so, I felt a need to spend more time with Ludwig. He didn't open up to people easily, making him much more difficult to befriend. This meant that I'd have to spend a whole lot of time with him in order to really understand him.

I didn't know what made so convinced that I had to develop a bond with the tall German; perhaps it was because he seemed lonely to me, or that he _also _had an older sibling who was the polar opposite of himself, but it had become my mission.

"Is there any place where you would prefer to sit?" Ludwig, halfway up the bus steps, paused to look at me.

"Eh… not really. You can decide."

He gave me a curt nod and climbed into the bus, sliding into the second row of seats and setting his bag on the floor. I followed his example. Across from us sat Francis and Ivan with Chun Yan squished in the middle, and I came to the conclusion that Lovina and Antonio were in front of us due to the soung of my sister's flustered curses.

"I apologize for my brother's uncivil manner yesterday," Ludwig commented, breaking the silence. "It was uncalled for, and you all deserve an apology."

"It wasn't your fault." Although my experience yesterday wasn't a pleasant one, I didn't feel that it something for anyone to get worked up about. And besides, Ludwig didn't have to take the blame for his brother's actions.

"It might as well have been. I knew that they were planning something inappropriate, and I didn't attempt to do anything to stop it." The bus doors closed with a hiss, and the vehicle lurched forward, causing its passengers to fall back into their seats. Ludwig steadied himself and continued. "I've decided that next time I catch wind of any plan they may have against you guys, I'll tell you. If the boys and girls decide to start a war, it doesn't mean that I have to be completely loyal to either side."

"So it'll be like we're… allies?"

"Yes, I suppose so," he said, nodding slightly. I grinned widely and sat back in my seat.

Allies and friends were practically the same thing.

We arrived at the campsite 20 minutes later. Headmaster Kiku said that we had to walk up a trail to get to our real destination, which caused me to groan softly. While I was a pretty good football (or, as Americans call it, "soccer") player, I didn't enjoy most other forms of exercise. Especially walking and running long distances.

Ludwig immediately noticed my distress and offered to carry my bag during the hike, which was very kind of him, but I had to refuse. Not only would Alex and Lovina badger me for being wimpy, but I didn't want to appear weak to the German. At least, not yet; he would witness my feebleness soon enough.

When it comes to camping, it's not the bugs that I'm afraid of. On the contrary, I find them cute and unintimidating (though nowhere near as adorable as cats). It's the big spiders, snakes, and bears that I worry about. A mere cracking of a twig can set me on edge, and something tells me that Ludwig isn't too tolerable of wimpiness.

Luckily, our walk to the clearing was spider, snake, and bear-free.

By the time we arrived, I was wheezing like a fat man after running a marathon (it was a steep incline, okay?), but it was totally worth it. Slender trees surrounded a grassy field that was large enough to set up all of our tents in, but small enough so that they had to be pitched side-by-side. A stream trickled nearby, stones sticking out of the clear water. They provided a way to easily cross the water without getting wet. My peripheral vision caught the blur of some sort of wild animal-I'm assuming a deer- but it was too fast for me to get a good look. In a single word, it was-

"Beautiful." I turned to face Ludwig, who was looking embarrassed for his sudden outburst. Instead of teasing him like any of the guys would in that situation, I just nodded and switched my gaze back to the scenery.

"Yeah, it really is."

The serene moment was forcibly interrupted by the shrill chirp of a whistle.

"Okay, chirdren! Obviousry, we aren't going to have partners sharing tents. You wirr arr sreep according to your dorms rooms back at the academy."

I cringed at the thought of sharing a tent with Lovina and Alex. No doubt they were going to get into an argument about who-sleeps-where and other unimportant nonsense.

"Your first assignment is to go out and scavenge for food whire I pitch the tents. We have suppries in the green bag," he announced, gesturing to said object. "The team with the most impressive assortment wirr win a prize."

That set a spark in Ludwig's eyes. He seemed to be the kind of person who enjoyed challenges, especially when they involve his older brother.

All at once, almost everyone made a beeline for the bag. I stayed back, being more timid and unwilling to lose a limb in order to snatch up the top-quality gear.

After they all cleared, there wasn't an item left in the bag. Ludwig had scored us a basket, some knives, and a fishing pole.

"Let's get to it," he said, a look of determination set on his face. I nodded, picking up the basket (the item I was least likely to hurt myself with) and following him out of the clearing.

Just before I was out of earshot with the headmaster, I heard him shout, "Remember where we made camp! Don't get rost!"

I don't think anyone heard him. This was a competition, and we were all set on winning.

**A/N: A bunch of Hetalia characters run out to the woods to catch food for a competition. Nothing can go wrong here, right?**

***cricket chirps***

**I always appreciate reviews! They make me smile **

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Hastalapasta**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey, everybody! This is my longest chapter so far, and it's definitely full of interesting events ;) **

**There's a lot of foreign language in this one, and all of the translations will be at the end of this story. I also ask that you READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! I have something important to ask you all!**

**So, without further ado, I give you: chapter 5!**

**I don't own Hetalia**

**Ludwig's POV**

An outdoor food-gathering competition against my brother? Count me in.

While I was always ahead of Gilbert in anything academic, he consistently beat me in any non-scholarly competition we would partake in. Whether it was basketball, _Monopoly_, poker, or any other game, he would always win.

But not this time.

I glanced back to make sure that Feliciana was behind me-she was- and I began to follow the stream downwards in order to find an ideal fishing spot. I'd never fished before in my life, but it couldn't be too hard. All you had to do was hook on some bait, swing the pole around to throw out the line, and wait. Piece of cake. In no time, I would have more fish than I could carry and the appreciation of all of my peers, including my own brother.

The stream finally led to a lake; I set down our supplies and began to rake at the wet dirt with my fingers. Feliciana glanced curiously over my shoulder.

"Uh… Ludwig? What are you doing?"

"Digging for worms. They'll serve as bait for the fish."

When I first spotted one of the pink creatures wriggling in the mud, I could already taste the victory. "Here we go. Get the basket ready, Feliciana! It'll be full in no time."

I hated fishing.

For nearly an hour I sat, pole in hand, waiting for something- ANYTHING- to tug at the line. Feliciana grew bored 10 minutes in and decided to go out and gather berries instead; she came back with an entire basketful of wild raspberries.

I, on the other hand, had dirt and worms. Not the most appetizing dish.

I finally settled on giving up, tossing my fishing pole beside me and dropping my head in my hands. I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder, but gave no reaction.

"It's okay, Ludwig! The fish aren't biting today, that's all. We can still find more food somewhere else."

"It's not the fish that are bothering me. It's my brother." If I wasn't too busy moping, I would've noticed my sudden and deliberate opening up to her. I didn't complain about my Gilbert to anyone- not even my parents- yet I felt the need to share my complaints with a girl I'd only known for a few days.

But for some reason, I was okay with that.

"In everything but school conduct and grades, Gilbert surpasses me. I guess I just want to feel what it's like to beat him for a change, that's all. And now I can't even catch a stupid fish."

I lifted my head and matched my gaze with hers. Feliciana's amber eyes were alert and understanding; her expression was more serious than I had ever witnessed before. She nodded once before allowing the corners of her lips to tug upward to form a gentle smile.

In that moment, she looked quite pretty.

_And that's fine to acknowledge, _I reassured myself, startled by my syrupy revelation._ She's pretty. That's just a fact. It doesn't mean anything in the slightest._

"You remind me of my sister," she murmured, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Not the cursing and the stubbornness, though, but the feeling of… underachievement. Lovina always complained that my art and cooking was better than hers, when in reality, she was very talented, too. You, Ludwig, need to be proud of your own achievements. Instead of comparing yourself to Gilbert, focus on yourself."

I was taken aback by her words, and for a moment, felt incapable of keeping her gaze, so I glanced back at the lake. That was the best advice I'd ever received about dealing with my brother from anyone, and it was uttered by a clumsy Italian girl in her junior year of high school.

_Huh. Life surprises you, I guess._

It was seconds after that thought passed through my head when a bear jumped out of the bushes, roaring ferociously in our direction.

**Feliciana's POV**

In one word, I was elated.

This was the most Ludwig had ever said to me at one time, and it was pretty deep stuff. I understood that he had difficulty dealing with his brother (which I could definitely relate to with Lovina), but I had no idea that he was _jealous_ of him.

To be honest, I couldn't see how he could be jealous of anyone. From what I've heard, he's the smartest kid in the junior year, athletic, and I know from my own experience that he's not at all lacking in the looks department.

My contemplations were interrupted by an ear-splitting roar, causing me to yelp and jump up. Being a clumsy person by nature, my feet slipped in the mud and I lost my footing, wind milling my arms in an attempt to stay upright and _not_ fall into the freezing lake.

Just before my body slapped into the water, Ludwig gripped my forearm, temporarily suspending me above the lake. Unfortunately, his feet weren't firmly planted on the ground, and he lost his footing as well, splashing into the water along with myself.

Water rushed into my mouth once I was submerged, and my hands scraped against the rocky bottom. It wasn't very deep, so it only took a few seconds for me to surface and splutter up the water I'd swallowed. I rubbed the liquid out of my eyes, glanced beside me to make sure that Ludwig had come out of the water- he had- and searched for the source of the growl.

A bear. Standing only three feet from me.

_Huh. How lovely. A large, hungry, human-eating bear. Who looks like he has quite an appetite for teenagers. Right in front of me. OH _MIO DIO_ I'M GONNA DIEEE!_

Another scream released itself from my throat and I tried to run away, forgetting that I was still standing in the water. This resulting in me plunging into the lake again and swallowing another gallon of water before Ludwig slung an arm around my waist and lifted me out.

"Feli, calm down, it's okay. It's only my_ lächerlich _brother, Gilbert." I looked at him, and then at the bear. Then I saw the dull, monochromatic eyes and patchy fur.

It was a costume.

"KESESESESE! YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACES!" Gilbert pulled off his mask, revealing a mischievous grin and playful red eyes. Maddie stepped out of the bushes as well, eyes cast downward.

"I tried to stop him, Feliciana. Sorry about that." Maddie's statement was unnoticed by Ludwig, who was growing redder by the second.

"Gilbert, _Sie dumm Idiot! Was dachten Sie_?"

This led to a fifteen minute argument between the two brothers spoken entirely in German. Maddie and I eventually had to resort to playing tic-tac-toe with a stick and the mud when we decided that we couldn't interpret what they were saying_ at all_, but it was safe to assume that the language wasn't the cleanest it could've been.

"Scheiße Kopf!"

"Arschlecker!"

"Um, Gilbert, I think we should go now." Maddie stood up and tentatively took a step towards the pair. "It's been over an hour since the headmaster sent us to gather food, and we haven't gotten anything yet."

"The food… Oh! That. Yeah, the awesome me was too busy watching people piss themselves after being scared by the 'bear.'" He laughed in his creepy manner before grabbing Maddie's hand and running off into the forest. Her cheeks brightened a bit at this action, but I don't know why. Maybe his hands were really warm or something…

_Oh, well. There's always been weird things that girls my age do that I don't understand._

"Speaking of the contest, we should also get going. And… er… I'm sorry for the display Gilbert and I put on earlier. And for not preventing you from falling into the lake," Ludwig added, eyeing my soaked clothing.

"Nah, it's okay. You're argument gave me time to dry off a little!"

"Oh, well… that's good, I suppose."

"And Ludwig?"

"_Ja?"_

"_Grazi!_"

Without saying another word, I scooped up the berry-filled basket and skipped off in a random direction, not giving Ludwig a chance to inquire what I was thanking him for.

_It's kind of stupid, anyway. He only grabbed my arm, trying to keep me out of the water. That's all. But even still, it was a very sweet gesture… _

_It's almost like he's… my protector…_

"That's a stupid thought," I chided myself. Ludwig jogged up beside me, carrying the rest of our supplies.

"What was that, Feliciana?"

"Oh, nothing."

Ludwig and I had no more luck finding any food, and even less finding the campsite (it took us nearly a half hour, and we were the last group to arrive), but our time didn't all go to waste. We had a few decent conversations along the way.

_I was weaving through the trees, half-focused, still searching for any form of sustenance (though I had lost interest in the contest a while ago.) Ludwig was doing the same. It was then that I had a sudden realization._

"_Hey, Ludwig?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_You called me something."_

_He paused midstride, glancing over at me. "Come again?"_

"_You called me something other than Feliciana."_

"_Oh. Uh, what did I call you?"_

"_After Gilbert jumped out of the bushes dressed as a bear, you tried to calm me down and called me 'Feli.'"_

_He seemed a bit surprised at first, but then nodded in recognition of the memory. "_Ja,_ I guess I did. I can stop calling you that, if you'd like."_

"_No. I like it. I've never really had a nickname."_

"_No?"_

"_Uh-uh. Well, sometimes Lovina calls me _amante della pasta asino muto_, which means_"_

"_I don't think I want to know, Feli."_

_We were quiet for a while, but it wasn't an awkward silence. Since we had technically become friends, it didn't feel uncomfortable to just walk side by side._

"_Hey, Ludwig? Did you ever have a nickname?"_

"_My parents and Gil sometimes call me Luddy."_

"_So do you want me to call you Ludd-"_

"NEIN."

It was only a little thing, and I'd only really hung out with Ludwig _that day_, but I still felt a strong friendship growing. When you spend several hours with only one other person, you get to know them pretty well.

I glanced around at the other teams and their loot, instantly coming to the conclusion that there was no way we were winning this thing. Elizabeta and Roderich somehow managed to catch a rabbit and a few fish, which was definitely more impressive than a few berries. I couldn't help but notice how close they talked to each other- they were only a few inches apart, which was too close even for _my_ standards. Weird.

My sister and Antonio seemed pretty well off, too. They somehow managed to find some tomatoes, which I guess wasn't very surprising considering how much the pair loved that fruit… vegetable… fruit… fregetabuit? From the looks of it, Antonio was talking her ear off while she just grumbled and cursed and blushed constantly. Again, weird.

Alex and Arthur had actually _captured a cow_. It was still alive, too, wrapped in a giant fishing net. Alex kept stroking it and drooling all over it and poking it with a fork while whispering "I'll have you soon, my dear hamburger!" Arthur made sure to stay a few steps back from the American and her precious meat.

Francis, Ivan, and Chun Yan were the only ones who didn't have any food at all. Instead, they had baskets filled with flowers: roses and sunflowers, to be exact. The petite Asian continued to be noticeably uncomfortable with the pair, but she didn't tremble anymore.

Maddie and Gilbert…

_Wait, where are they?_

"It seems that we are not the last group to arrive, after all," Ludwig commented, also noticing the lack of egocentric albinos and shy Canadians.

Seconds after the words left his lips, Gilbert and Maddie burst into the clearing, arms full of… _Twinkies?_

**Ludwig's POV**

_You have got to be kidding me…_

When Feliciana and I saw Gilbert last, he had no food whatsoever. Now, he was grinning like a fool with a considerable amount of packaged snack foods.

"THE AWESOME ME AND MY AWESOME PARTNER, MADDIE, HAVE BROUGH T YOU THE GIFT OF JUNK FOOD!"

"That's not fair," Lovina grumbled, crossing her arms. "How the hell did they come across all of that crap?"

"Simple, my grumpy Italian," Gilbert gloated, dumping the snacks into the closest tent. "Maddie and I happened to wander out of the woods and back on the roads, where we hit the closest gas station. This gracious Canadian," he added, stretching an arm around the blushing Maddie, "donated $50 for your sugar-hyped pleasure."

"NO WAY! I STOLE- er- BORROWED A FREAKING COW!" Alex marched up to the headmaster. "They cheated! Even if they brought down the most food, it doesn't mean that they win, right?"

Headmaster Kiku pondered this, momentarily closing his eyes. "Werr… I said that the team with the most impressive assortment wourd win; I never mentioned the method of gathering the food. I berieve the winners _must_ be Girbert and Maddie. Congraturations."

Gil whooped with valor, high-fiving Antonio and Francis before lifting a nervously squealing Maddie onto his shoulders. A handful of people clapped for the pair, the most enthusiastic being Feliciana.

I probably should've felt disappointed by the defeat, but surprisingly, I didn't. It was okay that Gilbert beat me this time.

"I believe you mentioned a prize, headmaster," Gilbert prodded, lowering the Canadian back onto the ground and waggling his eyebrows.

Headmaster Kiku nodded briefly before disappearing into his tent. He returned with two envelopes, and handed one to both of the students. "I must ask you both to wait untir we return to the schoor before opening them. There's stirr a rot to do before this trip ends."

Gilbert reluctantly shoved the letter in his pocket while Maddie carefully placed it in her bag.

Despite the major difference of character between the two, they seemed to get along fine- great, even. It reminded me of another pair of unlikely friends, but I couldn't quite place my finger on who…

_Oh, well. I'll think of it later._

After the contest, we compiled all of our food, roasting any meat that we captured (except for the cow; Headmaster Kiku made Alex return it to whatever farm she stole it from). The pile of snacks was ruthlessly attacked by the hungry teenagers and was reduced to a small mountain of plastic wrappers in a matter of seconds.

The Headmaster basically let us run free after that, his only rule being that we _all_ participated in group games. At first we all just sat around camp, either holding grudges against a certain trio of pranksters or simply incapable of coming up with a good game to play. Eventually, Antonio suggested that we play capture the flag.

The red team consisted of Gilbert, Francis, Antonio, Lovina, Maddie, and Alex; on the blue team there was Feliciana, Ivan, Roderich, Elizabeta, Chun Yan, Arthur, and I. The "flags" were Alex's red sock and Elizabeta's blue bandanna.

Since our team didn't really seem to know what they were doing, I took charge, deciding to tie our flag to the top of a tree. Luckily, Chun Yan was more nimble than she looked, and she took it up to one of the highest branches and stayed there as a guard. Ivan stayed by the area as well, only he would search for competitors on the ground. I figured that few people would be daring enough to try to get past him, seeing that he was still carrying his metal pipe. The rest of us spread out to find the other team's flag.

It didn't take long for me to find the red sock; it was sitting on top of a large boulder in the middle of the lake. The problem was that Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio were surrounding it.

_If I make a move to go and retrieve it, they'll easily be able to see me, and I'll be moving too slow in the water to make a quick grab for it. If only there was some sort of distraction…_

Suddenly, I had an idea. It was perhaps the most evil thing I had ever done in my life.

I backed into the bushes so that they couldn't see me, cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled:

"_MEIN GOTT_, LOVINA! PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON!"

Both Francis and Antonio had an immediate reaction. Almost drooling, the Frenchman dove into the water and began to swim towards my voice, eyes wildly scanning the area. "NO, FRANCIS! PLEASE DON'T RAPE _MI BONITA_ LOVI!" Antonio jumped in as well and tried to catch up to his friend.

Gilbert stared at both of them in confusion before sighing and swimming after the two. "Not awesome, guys! We're in the middle of a game, remember? Get back here!"

I swiftly ran to the other side of the lake, concealed by the trees, and silently made my way into the water. The trio was facing the opposite direction and all three were almost out of the water. Given my strength (I was more than a decent swimmer) and their obliviousness, the odds of me grabbing their flag before being caught were in my favor.

It was a solid minute before they realized that there wasn't a half-naked Italian roaming around in the woods, and another few seconds before they noticed me in the water, only a few feet from the rock and my team's victory.

"LUDDY!?" Gilbert's expression was one of shock, but it showed signs of respect and even pride. "Well, done, little brother. Well done."

I smiled knowingly, my fingers almost brushing against the fabric of the sock when…

"THE HERO HAS SAVED THE DAY FOR THE RED TEAM!"

Alex burst out from the bushes, followed by the majority of her team. She proudly waved Elizabeta's blue bandanna in the air.

"…and then Francis charged into the water like a madman," Gilbert roared, pointing at the slightly-embarrassed-but-not-as-embarrassed-as-he-should-be Frenchman.

We had all gathered around the campfire (the headmaster set it up and made us all hotdogs before retiring to his tent early), and Gil was telling the story of my near-success. While he did dress up the story a little, he got most of the facts right. I received many looks of appreciation and respect in that moment, as well as a death-stare from a certain Italian who I may have declared to be topless earlier that afternoon.

I was still upset that I hadn't reached the sock in time, but my brother was making me sound like some sort of war-hero, so I guess the game wasn't a total loss.

After he finished his tale, Francis smirked deviously, illuminating his face with a flashlight. "Well, now that the night has come, it is time for the inevitable event that every campout must include… truth or dare!"

**A/N: If you're looking for the translations, they're below this. If you're wondering what my special announcement thingy is, here you go:**

**I WANT YOU TO SEND ME TRUTH OR DARE SUGGESTIONS!**

**While I won't be able to use all of them, I'll add in some for the story! I'd love to hear all of your ideas!**

**~Hastalapasta**

**TRANSLATIONS:**

**Mio Dio: My God**

**Lächerlich: Ridiculous**

**Sie dumm Idiot! Was dachten Sie?: You stupid idiot! What were you thinking?**

**Scheiße Kopf: Shit head**

**Arschlecker: Ass licker**

**Ja: Yes**

**Grazi: Thank you**

**Nein: No**

**Amante della pasta asino muto: Dumbass pasta lover**

**Mein Gott: My God**

**Mi bonita Lovi: My beautiful Lovi**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been pretty busy lately (I signed up for summer health class so that I don't have to do it during the school year, and I also attended a week-long summer camp.) I hope you like this next chapter!**

**To PastryPuffins, thanks so much for your suggestions! If I hadn't already completed the first part of this chapter when I read your review, I would've included your ideas. I'll try to use them later in the story, anyway **

**So here's chapter 6! Enjoy!**

**Feliciana's POV**

I cringed after hearing Francis's suggestion, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach as I watched everyone else nod in approval.

Truth or dare would no doubt end with me forced to participate in some sort of gruesome or embarrassing activity, therefore I was _not at all_ looking forward to it. While I usually enjoyed games and laughter, this was an exception. The laughter involved was always at the expense of others, and, on more than one occasion, directed towards myself.

I would never forget the day that Lovina dared me to drink a cup of hot sauce at a family reunion back in Italy (and not just because she posted a picture of the event in our family photo album). I drained an entire carton of milk afterwards (that is, after throwing up all over the carpet). My throat and tongue were swollen and pulsing from the heat, so I could barely talk for the rest of day.

I was even more embarrassed when Grandpa Helmfried suggested that I lead the prayer.

Another area that I struggled in was forming any good questions and challenges for the game. For some reason, no one was interested in watching someone "hug a tree for 15 seconds" or listening to the answer to "what is your favorite color?" My plan was to lay low and hopefully not get picked too often. If I did, I would simply choose truth. What harm could come from a mere question? It wasn't like I had anything to hide.

I smiled, now at ease with my current situation, and glanced up at Ludwig. He was sitting to my right, the glow of the fire illuminating his stoic face. I had to crane my neck to look at him due to our severe height difference. "Ready to play, Ludwig?"

"_Ja_. I just hope Gil doesn't pick me during the game. I'd appreciate leaving this trip with all of my dignity _and_ my limbs intact."

I nodded, shuddering slightly. I barely knew the guy, but Gilbert was without a doubt an expert on humiliation.

Since he suggested the idea in the first place, we all decided that Francis would start out the game. He stared into the eyes of all of his potential victims, scanning them for any traces of fear or discomfort. The moment he turned in my direction, I averted my own eyes downward.

That was my first mistake.

"Feliciana," the Frenchman crooned, smirking at my moan of distress. "Truth or dare?"

_So much for not getting picked_, I thought, resting my chin in my palm. I wasn't terribly nervous, though. I would pick truth, and then Francis would ask me some sort of perverted (that's the word that all the other girls used to describe him) question that I probably wouldn't understand.

I _still_ didn't get the salt shaker joke he played on me earlier that afternoon. He said that if I opened my mouth and pretended to be shaking salt into it, I could really taste it, but I didn't. I tried moving my hand faster, but Ludwig (who was beet red for some reason) held my arms down and convinced me never to try that strange act again.

_That's right. I will not, under any circumstances, pick a dare. This will be a piece of cake!_

"I choose dare."

_Wait, what?_

I slapped my hands over my mouth, eyes wide. Everyone-especially Ludwig- stared at me in shock. My previous thoughts had caused me to muddle my words and give the wrong reply. The word "cake" often left me sidetracked.

"I meant to say truth," I squeaked, glancing nervously at Francis. He shook his head with mock-sympathy, clicking his tongue.

"I am sorry, _mon amour_, but you said dare, and dare it shall be. Now, what to do with such a lovely young lady?"

"Now, Francis," Ludwig started, an angry waver in his tone. "Don't say anything too extreme. We don't want you forcing Feliciana to do anything illegal, alright? That means that all clothes stay _on._ Including yours."

The Frenchman pouted at him, and a small sigh of relief escaped my lips. _Now that his options are limited, perhaps he won't make me suffer too much after all._

Thirty seconds or so passed before a maniac grin lit up his face. Sparkling blue eyes met my confused amber ones as he crept up close to me, removing the strands of hair blocking my ear before seductively whispering:

"Feliciana, kiss Ivan. On the lips."

My face steadily paled as I stared unblinkingly at Francis, questioning his seriousness.

His expression didn't falter. In fact, his grin only widened at my surprise. Without breaking eye contact, Francis retreated back to his original seat, obviously pleased with is choice of dare.

_Mio Dio, I'm doomed!_

I cautiously turned to face Ivan, trying to block out the questioning looks that the others threw at me. Swallowing loudly (despite the fact that my mouth was as moist as a pile of sand), I stood and began to walk towards the confused Russian, hands trembling. Several pairs of eyes followed me as I finally knelt in front of where Ivan sat. He opened his mouth as to ask a question, but I interrupted him with a terse, "I'm so sorry!"

And with that, I crushed my lips against his.

The kiss- if it could even be called that- only lasted for half a second, but it was enough to draw gasps and immature whoops and whistles from the throats of the other teens. Once I dared open my eyes, Ivan's shocked and slightly dazed expression filled my vision. Murmuring another weak apology, I shuffled back to my seat. Ludwig sympathetically patted my back once I sat down.

"Alright, Feliciana! Your turn to pick someone!" Antonio spoke those words as if I hadn't just been forced into an excruciatingly awkward position moments before.

"Eh… Maddie, truth or dare?"

After watching Maddie confess her favorite animal (polar bears, of course), Elizabeta sing the Canadian anthem at the top of her lungs, and Gilbert devour three hot dogs in less than a minute, things finally started to heat up.

"Antonio, truth or dare," Gil asked, his red eyes glinting mischievously.

"I'm probably asking for a death sentence, but I must choose… dare." The Spaniard crossed his arms in defiance, his daring smirk battling Gilbert's. After a moment of what seemed to be contemplation, Gilbert stood, gesturing for Antonio to follow him away from the group.

"That wasn't a smart move," Ludwig muttered. I nodded in agreement. Antonio didn't have a chance against the guy; the scary thing about Gilbert was that there were no lines to be crossed. He _really _didn't know when enough was enough.

When the pair returned, Antonio was as white as mozzarella cheese. I think I even caught the glimmer of tears in his eyes.

_What dare could be terrifying and/or humiliating enough to cause him to _cry?

They both sat down silently. We all stared at Antonio in anticipation, but he did nothing.

All of a sudden, he stood, pointing behind us. "OH MY GOSH, WHY IS MILEY CYRUS TWERKING ON JENNIFER LAWRENCE IN A BIKINI?"

Needless to say, we all whirled our heads around to catch a glimpse at the scene. When I had confirmed that there were no celebrities in the area, I turned back just in time to witness Antonio sprinting away from a furious Ivan, something shiny tucked in his arms. I gave Ludwig a questioning look, but he just shrugged.

"I told him that he had to steal Ivan's pipe," Gilbert admitted, howling in laughter after hearing a high-pitched shriek followed by the sound of someone splashing into the lake. Ivan returned, pipe in hand, smiling innocently.

"Now, let's continue with the game, _da_?"

Eventually Gilbert and Francis had to go and fish Antonio out of the water, and the game continued.

"Ludwig, t-t-truth or d-dare?" The Spaniard wrapped himself tighter with the blanket he snagged from one of the tents, teeth chattering from both the cold and fear. I caught him throwing a couple nervous glances in Ivan's direction (he pretended not to notice, but every time Antonio looked at him he would give an almost imperceptible smirk of content.)

"Truth," he automatically replied, arms crossed.

"If you had to d-date one of the girls here, who w-w-would you pi-"

"DARE."

I glanced over at the tall German, who was blushing profusely. Francis chuckled at his response and slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Antonio, how could you be so discriminating? Let me rephrase that question to fit Ludwig's interests. If you had to date one of the _guys _here-"

"_Gott_, no! I would just rather do a dare, please."

Antonio nodded slowly. "Hey, Arthur. You got any of those s-s-scones left?"

Ludwig blanched beside me while the other guys snickered, either looking at the petrified German or the angry Englishman. Glancing around, I could see that the other girls were just as confused as I was.

"For the last time, my scones are NOT disgusting, you bloody wanker! In fact, I'll bet Ludwig will _enjoy _them, and your dare will be ruined." Smirking defiantly in Antonio's direction, Arthur fished out a plastic bag that contained an item resembling a moldy rock.

_Wait… can rocks mold?_

Gagging, Ludwig accepted the bag.

"I dare you to eat the scone. _All_ of it! Consider it punishment for your brother's previous dare." Antonio's chill seemed to disappear while he glared at his friend, to which he replied with a toothy grin.

"C'mon, Luddy! Show Antonio what we awesome Beilschmidt men are made of!"

Ludwig's fingers shook as he undid the plastic seal and hesitantly grasped the pastry. As if in slow motion, he lifted it to his lips and opened his mouth to take a bite. He let it hover there for a moment before squeezing his eyes shut and tossing the entire thing into his mouth.

I won't describe the details of this deed. Let's just say that it contained a lot of swearing, vomiting, and ended with Ludwig sitting down quietly next to me, his face in his hands. It was my turn to do the sympathetic patting.

And that's how our game of truth or dare came to an end.

Headmaster Kiku had five tents set up in all: two for the girls, two for the boys, and one for himself. His own tent was placed in the middle to create a simple border between the genders. As he said before, roommates stayed in the same tents, so I was with Alex and Lovina.

Right off the bat, I could tell that something strange was going on. They kept on exchanging sly glances, and my sister immediately suggested that I get some sleep once we set up our sleeping bags whereas she would normally tell me to "shut the fuck up and leave me the fuck alone."

Instead of questioning the two on their behavior, I pretended to fall asleep the moment I lay down (which wasn't much of a stretch from what I'd usually do.) If they were planning anything secretly, there was no way that they would tell me what was going on. Lovina thought that I was too oblivious and easily-frightened to keep secrets.

Well… she w_as_ right… but I still wanted to know what was going on.

Thirty seconds or so after I had "fallen asleep," Alex started talking.

"Did you grab everything?"

"Yeah. It's in this bag."

I heard a loud thump, which I assumed was the bag in question.

"Are you sure she won't wake up?" I stiffened slightly, realizing that Alex was referring to me.

"Nah. Feliciana sleeps so deeply that I can sit on top of her and she still won't wake up. Here, let me show you…"

_Oh, mio Dio, please don't Lovi!_

I braced myself for the impact of her body weight, but it never came.

"Don't, Lovina! You may wake her. Besides, we have to go _now_ if our plan is going to work."

I heard the two shuffling around-occasionally bumping into me in the process- and the unzipping of our tent as they exited.

The moment the sound of their footsteps disappeared, I bolted up in my sleeping bag.

_Alex and Lovi are probably going to attack the boys, so I should follow them… but at the same time, if they catch me before I give the message, they'll hurt me… but I can't let the guys get hurt… but _I_ don't want to get hurt… and if I want to catch the girls I should leave now or else I'll lose them…WHAT SHOULD I DO?_

Snatching m y white flag just in case (you never know when you have to surrender from dangerous situations,) I cautiously unzipped the tent and peered outside just in time to see the pair disappearing into the woods.

I inhaled slowly through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth, trying to steady my frantic heartbeat. I took a step onto the grass, and then another, and then another, heading in the direction of the forest.

After three minutes of wandering and a mini panic-attack, I finally found Alex and Lovina. They were positioned behind the bushes that were the closest to the boys' tents. Alex was holding something that resembled a gun (it was hard to tell in the dark, but it still made me nervous) and Lovina had some sort of bottle. I crept as close to them as I dared, sinking down in the plants.

I strained my ears to catch what they were saying, but they were speaking too quietly for me to hear anything.

_Really? NOW Alex chooses to be quiet?_

Lowering onto my hands and knees, I crept closer, leaning my head towards the pair.

"… and you need to lead them right _here_, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it _idiota._"

"What does that mean? You know I don't speak Italian!"

I tried to focus on their conversation, but it was difficult with the grass brushing up against my nose. I didn't want to move though, so I stayed still.

But gosh, that grass was really starting to tickle…

In an attempt to prevent my oncoming sneeze, I wrinkled my nose, squeezing my eyes shut in concentration.

It didn't work.

"Ahh… ahh…ACHOO!"

I froze, silently praying that they hadn't heard my sudden outburst.

They did.

A hand grasped my arm and yanked me to my feet, leaving me face-to-face with my sister. She sighed and released me, turning to Alex.

"It's just Feliciana. She must've woken up and was scared to be by herself."

"Do you think she heard…" Alex trailed off, narrowing her eyes in my direction. It wasn't in an accusatory manner, just… nervous.

In an effort to sound innocent, I replied, "What are you talking about? I was asleep until I heard the sound of the tent zipping close, so I started to follow you guys. I assumed you were going to get something to eat." I tried to keep my tone light, but Lovina saw right through me.

"You're a terrible liar, _fratella_. You know that we're planning to prank the boys."

"_Buuut_," Alex continued, grinning in her usual overexcited manner, "if you'd like to join us, you could be a helpful sidekick. I'm the hero, of course."

They both stared at me questioningly, and I felt my cowardice begin to take over once again. Perhaps I could just contribute to their prank and they'd leave me alone afterwards, or maybe I could convince them to let me return to the tent…

_"So it'll be like we're… allies?"_

_ "Yes, I suppose so."_

I blinked away the sudden memory.

"Well, maybe you guys could just maybe not do what you're planning to do to the guys?" The words streamed out of my mouth in a nearly incoherent rush, my voice growing higher with every word. Even so, I felt a lot better after saying it. "Yeah. So… don't. What I mean to say is that I won't let you." I crossed my arms in defiance.

Of course, the looks they gave me weren't so reassuring.

Alex even had a flicker of pity in her features before plainly saying, "Lovina, Grab the ducktape."

And then my older sister and her best friend proceeded to ducktape me to a tree.

**A/N: I confess, I wanted to go a lot further in this chapter, but after a week of camp and a lot of other events that caused me to delay this chapter, I decided to finally post it. **

** Again, I'm so sorry for the delay. I'm taking summer classes (not because I failed anything, but because I want to get ahead and I'm really nerdy) so my next chapter will probably be late as well. Just know that I have something BIG in store for chapter 7!**

** I loved hearing suggestions, so if anyone else has requests for future events, I'd be glad to include them!**

**~Hastalapasta**


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